How to turn on Num Lock on a laptop with Windows 10 and 11

Learn how to turn on Num Lock on a laptop with Windows 10 or 11 when your laptop doesn't have a Num Lock or Num LK key.

For example, my ASUS laptop doesn't have a Num Lock or Num LK key on its keyboard. So whenever I need to use the Num Lock function to type ALT codes, I have to enable the Num Lock function in another way. And below I will show you how to do it.

And I will also show you another way to get special characters and symbols in Windows 10 and 11.

How to turn on Num Lock on a laptop with Windows 10 and 11

1. Click on the start menu button or press the Windows Windows key key on your keyboard.

Windows start menu button and keyboard key

2. Type osk.

3. Press the Enter key on your keyboard.

You can also type osk in the Windows search bar and then press the Enter key on your keyboard.

Open on-screen keyboard in Windows 10 via search

You can also press the Windows Windows key + R key on your keyboard > type osk in the “Run” dialog > press the Enter key on your keyboard.

Open on-screen keyboard in Windows 10 via Run

A virtual keyboard will appear on your screen.

4. Click on the Options key.

On-screen keyboard options key

An options window will appear.

5. Check the box next to Turn on numeric key pad.

Keyboard options window

6. Click on the OK button at the bottom of the options window.

7. You should now see a Num Lock key on the on-screen keyboard. You can use this key to turn the Num Lock function on and off.

Num Lock key

After you turn it on, you can type special characters and symbols. For ALT codes, you press and hold the left Alt key on your laptop's keyboard, then click the numbers on the number pad of the on-screen keyboard, and then release the Alt key.

You may also need to use the FN key together with the left Alt key to type special keyboard symbols.

Like for example, if you want to type the ALT code 3, which is a heart symbol, then you may need to press and hold the FN + Alt keys on your laptop's keyboard, click 3 on the number pad of the on-screen keyboard, and then release the FN + Alt keys.

Alternatively, you can also use Windows' Character Map to get special characters and symbols. To open the character map, you click on the start menu button > Windows Accessories > Character Map. You can also type charmap in the Windows search bar and then press the Enter key on your keyboard.

In the Character Map window, you click on the character or symbol you want, then you click on the Select button, and then you click on the Copy button. After that, you can paste the character or symbol wherever you want.